Universe

Space Exploration Timeline

By xX_Billy_Xx
  • Sputnik 1

    Sputnik 1

    Russians launch the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1.
  • Sputnik 2

    Sputnik 2

    A dog named Laika becomes the first living creature sent from Earth into space, aboard Russia's Spuntnik 2.
  • Explorer 1

    Explorer 1

    Launch of the first US satellite, Explorer 1.
  • Luna 3

    Luna 3

    Russian probe Luna 3 sends first pictures of the far side of the moon.
  • Mercury Rocket

    Mercury Rocket

    NASA launches a chimpanzee named Ham into space aboard a Mercury Rocket.
  • Vostok 1

    Vostok 1

    Russian Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space in a 108-minute flight in Vostok 1.
  • Freedom 7

    Freedom 7

    First American in space (Alan Shepard) in Freedom 7.
  • Friendship 7

    Friendship 7

    First astronaut to orbit the Earth (John Glenn, USA) in Friendship 7.
  • Mariner 2

    Mariner 2

    NASA's Mariner 2 scans the surface of Venus.
  • Vostok 6

    Vostok 6

    Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space, aboard Vostok 6.
  • First Space Walk

    First Space Walk

    Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov makes the first space walk.
  • Mariner 4

    Mariner 4

    Mariner 4 flies by Mars.
  • Luna 9

    Luna 9

    First Moon landing (By Soviet spacecraft Luna 9.
  • Apollo 1

    Apollo 1

    A fire on the launch pad of Apollo 1 kills three US astronauts.
  • First Death In Space

    First Death In Space

    First death in space (Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komorov).
  • Venera 4

    Venera 4

    Soviet craft Venera 4 lands on Venus.
  • Apollo 8

    Apollo 8

    First crewed spacecraft to orbit the Moon (Apollo 8).
  • First Step On The Moon

    First Step On The Moon

    US astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the Moon.
  • First Vehicle To Drive On Moon

    First Vehicle To Drive On Moon

    Russian rover becomes the first vehicle to drive on the Moon.
  • Salyut 1

    Salyut 1

    Launch of first space station (The Soviet Salyut 1).
  • Pioneer 10

    Pioneer 10

    First space probe to fly by Jupiter (Pioneer 10).
  • Mariner 10

    Mariner 10

    First space probe to fly by Mercury (Mariner 10).
  • First Spacecraft Docking

    First Spacecraft Docking

    First US and Soviet spacecraft docking (Apollo/Soyuz).
  • Viking 1

    Viking 1

    First successful landing on Mars (By space probe Viking 1).
  • Pioneer 11

    Pioneer 11

    First Saturn fly-by (Pioneer 11).
  • Columbia

    Columbia

    First space shuttle launch (Columbia).
  • Voyager 2

    Voyager 2

    First Uranus fly-by (Voyager 2).
  • Challenger

    Challenger

    Space shuttle Challenger explodes during launch, killing all seven crew.
  • Mir

    Mir

    Launch of Russian space station Mir.
  • Halley's Comet Fly-By

    Halley's Comet Fly-By

    First fly-by of Halley's comet (By European space probe Giotto).
  • Voyager 2

    Voyager 2

    First Neptune fly-by (Voyager 2).
  • Discovery And HST

    Discovery And HST

    Space shuttle Discovery launches the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).
  • First Part Of ISS Launched

    First Part Of ISS Launched

    First part of the International Space Station (ISS) launched.
  • Climate Orbiter

    Climate Orbiter

    Mars Climate Orbiter disappears after orbiting Mars.
  • Polar Lander

    Polar Lander

    Mars Polar Lander disappears, creating further embarrassment for NASA.
  • Mir Abandoned

    Mir Abandoned

    Mir space station abandoned and crashes off the coast of Australia in the Pacific Ocean.
  • First Tourist In Space

    First Tourist In Space

    First tourist in space (Dennis Tito).
  • Columbia

    Columbia

    Space shuttle Columbia explodes on re-entry killing all seven astronauts.
  • Mars Rovers' Land

    Mars Rovers' Land

    Twin Mars Exploration Rover missions Spirit and Opportunity land on Mars.
  • First Landing On An Alien Moon

    First Landing On An Alien Moon

    After descending by parachute for 2 hours and 28 minutes, the Huygens probe lands on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
  • First Commercial Orbit And Return

    First Commercial Orbit And Return

    A company called SpaceX becomes the first private company to launch a spacecraft to orbit and return it safely to the Earth.
  • New Horizons

    New Horizons

    First Pluto fly-by (New Horizons).